Demand to hold ADC polls on time : Talk with Govt inconclusive, ATSUM sticks to bandh stand
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, October 24 2020: The All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has announced that it will go ahead with the 48-hour "bandh of inter-State movement" from October 26 after the talk between the student body and the State Government broke down today.

Zeliangrong Students' Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and the Kuki Students' Organisation have also decided to back the agitation of ATSUM.

The student body is demanding notification for the conduct of the elections to the six Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) on or before October 25 .

According to ATSUM, at the invitation of the State Government, a meeting was held today at the office of Tribal Affairs and Hills (TA & H) Minister Vungzagin Valte on the ultimatum served by the tribal student body.

ATSUM had served a four-day ultimatum to the State Government for timely conduct of Autonomous District Council (ADC) election 2020 a few days ago.

The tribal student body demanded that there should be no further extension of term of office of all members of 6 ADCs.

ATSUM had also reminded that, as empowered by Article 371C of Indian Constitution and subsequent order of VV Giri, the then President of India, vide the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972, wherein, Constitution and power and functioning of District Councils in the Hill Areas are included in the Scheduled matters of the function of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), the latter in its meeting on October 8, 2020 vide resolution no 35/2020 (HAC) had resolved to propose and recommend the Government of Manipur to conduct the ADC election on time.

"After a lengthy discussion, requests for suspension of the proposed agitation of ATSUM were made by the State Government on the promise that the demand will be discussed in the next Cabinet sitting", the apex tribal student body said.

"However, after having serious consultations with our federating units, we have declined the State Government's proposal for suspension of the proposed agitation as the demand to issue ADC election notification was not addressed", it further said.

"Thus, the proposed 48-hour inter-State bandh and ban on construction works of National projects in the State from October 26, 2020 shall remain effective," it added.

Meanwhile, Zeliangrong Students' Union, Manipur (ZSUM) said it fully endorses the "genuine" demands of ATSUM and added that ATSUM had "demanded and warned" the State Government to come out with a concrete stand.

"ZSUM, in this demand of ATSUM is ready to support, co-operate and will take up any step in our jurisdiction according to the directive of ATSUM," the Zeliangrong student body said.

ZSUM then said that the extension of ADC tenure for 6 months from 1-6-2020 to 30-11-2020 was done on the reason of June-July being a rainy season, which is not convenient to hold elections.

"However, if another six months extension of ADCs' tenure is done, the next election of ADCs will fall in the month of June-July 2021 which will naturally be again a rainy season," they added.

ZSUM said it "stands" with the demand of ATSUM and added it will follow the directive of ATSUM to "seal inter-State routes and to ban the construction works of National projects including NF Railway (Jiri-Imphal), National highway road construction in Tamenglong and Noney districts for 48 hours starting from October 26, 2020" .

The Kuki Students' Organization, general headquarters has also endorsed the call of ATSUM.

The KSO said that the demand of ATSUM to conduct the ADC elections on time is justified and there cannot be any justification in further delaying it.

There has been enough extension, said KSO and added that ADC is a grass root democratic body and withholding its election is equal to robbing the democratic rights of the people.

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